Grand Canyon National Park

The Grand Canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and for good reason! The vast park presents you with endless beauty! Hunter and I stopped here during the summer of 2019, as part of our cross country road trip. We were living in our van, so I will be tackling the Grand Canyon from a van life/camping perspective. It's a great (and cheap) way to see the park, so if you are on a budget and love adventure, look no further!

ACTIVITIES

FOOD

LODGING

WHEN TO VISIT

The Grand Canyon is probably the most crowded during the summer months, and also the hottest! Hunter and I visited in early June, and it was already packed with people. Although I have never visited outside of the summer months, many sources say that the Fall is the best time to visit. Crowds are fewer, and temps are lower. However, it can get below freezing at night during this time of year, so you must be prepared. 

Although June was crowded, I though it was a fine time to visit the park if you know how to avoid the crowds and are prepared for the heat. Keep reading for tips on a great Grand Canyon experience!

ACTIVITIES

There are many things to do in the Grand Canyon National Park, but in the traditional Maddie/Hunter style, here are some of the more adventurous, off-the-beaton-path, cheaper activities!

SHOSHONE POINT FOR SUNRISE

We were given specific instructions by family members that our first view of the Grand Canyon had to be Shoshone Point at sunrise. So, at 3:30 AM we rolled out of bed and drove the van towards the edge of the Grand Canyon. As we drove towards the trailhead we carefully averted our eyes to avoid any views before we got to Shoshone Point! Luckily it was still too dark out to see much. It was June 5th, and we started hiking just after 4:00am. If you're there at a different time of year the sunrise will likely be later, and you can sleep in a bit more. We made it to Shoshone Point pretty quickly; it is only one flat mile to get there. The horizon was just beginning to glow as we rounded the corner and walked out onto the point. I can’t imagine a more spectacular first view of the Grand Canyon; it was truly a breathtaking experience.

We set up our crazy creek chairs and the shadow that covered the canyon slowly got brighter and brighter. The hazy, bluish rock formations transformed to glowing oranges and purples as the sun came closer to peeking over the horizon. I couldn’t draw my eyes away from the view. I was in complete bliss. One of the best parts: there wasn't another soul around (except for Hunter of course)!

RUN THE RIM TRAIL

The Grand Canyon Rim Trail is a mostly paved path that runs along part of the south rim of the Grand Canyon. It begins near the Shoshone Point Trailhead, and ends almost 13 miles later at Hermit's Rest. The trail winds its way, fairly close to the edge, past the geological museum and the Grand Canyon Village. So, if these are stops that interest you, it is easy to incorporate them into your run. 

Hunter and I started near the Grand Canyon Visitor Center and jogged slowly along the trail, stopping at most of the rocky points along the way to enjoy the views. We also stopped at the museum and the village. One tricky part about running this trail is the people dodging; the path is usually quite packed. Even though it is rather touristy, we thought it was worth the crowd maneuvering. Much better than driving to the Grand Canyon Village! Once in the village we had a snack and headed back to the Visitor Center. Our run ended up being around 6 miles, but you can keep going all the way to Hermit's Rest for a longer run if you want!

VISIT THE YAVAPAI MUSEUM OF GEOLOGY

This museum is located in one of the most unique buildings you will ever see. Blending in nicely with the landscape, nestled right on the edge of the canyon, the Yavapai Museum of Geology is a must-do! 

It is incredible to learn about how the Colorado river carved out the Grand Canyon over millions of years, and it is even more incredible to read about that while you’re staring out the window with the giant hole in the ground laid out before your eyes. It reminded me of a couple of my favorite quotes: 

The giant window in the museum, complete with an informational display right in front of it, allows you to see the geology as you learn about it. For an up-close view, the museum has rock column models so you can learn about the different layers that make up the Grand Canyon. If you are even a little bit interested in geology (and the sheer power of nature!) then definitely make time to stop here. 

STOP IN THE GRAND CANYON VILLAGE

Similar to the Yavapai Museum of Geology, the buildings of the Grand Canyon Village fit the landscape. One building, the Hopi House, was built like a Hopi pueblo dwelling. Mary Colter, the architect, was commissioned in 1904, a time when she was a female in a male-dominated field. "Inspired by the natural beauty of the Grand Canyon, she wanted to design something that appeared native, natural and timeless." The Hopi House was originally built to be a souvenir shop, and that is what it remains to this day. 

When in the village, definitely swing by Kolb Studio! This historic, Victorian era house was the home of the Kolb brothers, "who created a lasting legacy of adventure, exploration, family love, and amazing Grand Canyon photography that will last as long as the Canyon itself." The brothers arrived on the south rim of the Grand Canyon in 1902. They successfully navigated the CO river in 1911, and they even filmed their trip. They used their photography skills to take photos of mule riders on the Bright Angel Trail from a small toll shack. This shack eventually grew into the Kolb house/studio that you can visit today!

SWING BY DESERT VIEW WATCHTOWER

Located on the East end of the canyon, the Desert View Watchtower stands tall, right on the edge! The tower is closed in the winter, so make sure to stop by during the summer months if you want to go inside. When we went in June, it was much less crowded than the Grand Canyon Village and Mather Point area. Climb up the tower to enjoy spectacular views and take in the replicas of indigenous paintings on the walls. Make sure to stop by the Trading Post for ice cream before leaving!

VISIT THE TUSAYAN PUEBLO MUSEUM

The Tusayan Pueblo Museum is located about 3 miles west of Desert View Watchtower. Experience the ruins of an 800 year old Pueblo Indian site, consisting of a living area, storage rooms, and a kiva (a space used for political meetings and spiritual ceremonies). Pueblo is the Spanish word for ‘village,’ and originated with the Colonial Spanish, who used it to refer to these peoples’ style of living. The Ancestral Puebloans were known to build their stone dwellings on the sides of cliffs. These houses were only accessible by rope or through rock climbing! The Hopi people are Puebloans as well. In Puebloan culture, particularly in Hopi culture, Kachinas are a large part of the belief system. Kachinas are spirits that represent anything in the natural world or cosmos; it is the presence of life in all objects, concepts, and creatures that fill (or have filled) the universe. What a great way to think about the world! Definitely make a stop at this museum to learn more about the way of life of the indigenous people who used to inhabit the Grand Canyon area. 

BIKE TO HERMIT'S REST

Hermit's Rest lies to the West of the Grand Canyon Village, and offers a much less crowded place to hang out and enjoy the views. There is a snack and gift shop, located in a building designed by Mary Colter (the architect who designed the Hopi House). Hermit's Rest is also the gateway to beautiful backcountry hiking trails, starting with the Hermit Trail.

There are free shuttle buses that can take you to Hermit's Rest, but biking gives you a chance to take in the scenery and enjoy the ride a bit more. If 13 miles out and 13 miles back is a longer ride than you were hoping for, never fear! You can take the shuttle one way, or you can hop on and off the shuttle for sections of the ride. One thing to keep in mind is that not all trails in the park allow bikes. Here is a great map where you can see which trails to avoid on your bike ride. The ride is fairly flat, with rolling hills. Nothing too big or steep. Make sure to bring lots of water. You can refill at the Grand Canyon Village, the Visitor Center, and Hermit's Rest. 

HIKE TO THE COLORADO RIVER

This was my favorite adventure in Grand Canyon National Park! There are two main trails that take you down, down, down, into the canyon: The Bright Angel Trail and the South Kaibab Trail. 

Bright Angel Trail: about 15.3 miles, 4500 feet of elevation gain

South Kaibab Trail: about 14.3 miles, 4900 feet of elevation gain

It is not recommended to do these trails in one day unless you are in shape to handle many miles and almost 5000 feet of elevation gain in intense heat. The temperature can be 20 degrees F hotter in the bottom of the canyon, so make sure you are prepared with lots of sunscreen, food, and water. You need to carry at least 2 gallons of water to complete this hike! While the Bright Angel Trail has some rest stations and opportunities to refill water, the South Kaibab Trail has no water refill stations!

There is limited parking at many of the South Rim trailheads, and no parking at the South Kaibab trailhead. Your best bet is to take the shuttle. I recommend getting on the earliest shuttle possible. Another option is to bike to the trailhead, but I will say that after hiking up from the river I was glad I didn't have to jump on my bike and use my tired legs to get back to the car. 

While this hike may seem intimidating, it is definitely worth it if you are in shape to handle it. Hunter and I are avid hikers and runners, so we decided to attempt the South Kaibab Trail in a day. After packing plenty of food, 2 gallons of water each, and sunscreen, we woke up at 3am to catch the 4am hiker shuttle from the Bright Angel Lodge. We did this to make sure we had enough time to complete the hike, and to beat the heat. Once we were hiking we realized that the early start also allowed us to catch the amazing sunrise, and beat the crowds! We were on the South Kaibab trail by 4:30, with only about 20 other early risers. Headlamps on, we headed over the rim and into the Grand Canyon. We actually jogged most of the way down to the river, and found ourselves alone in the bottom of the Grand Canyon, surrounded by huge red walls of immense beauty and the swift-moving, green, Colorado River. 

Another thing to keep in mind when hiking down into the Grand Canyon is that mule trains also use these trails. The trails are not particularly wide in many places, so passing the mules can be difficult, especially when one side of the trail drops off into the canyon! Although the mule traffic can be hard to navigate (and stinky!), it is pretty cool to see them go by, and to think about how these animals can hike up and down this trail probably easier than I could!

Mules

After a snack and a rest in the bottom of the canyon, we started the long ascent back towards the rim. The South Kaibab trail is basically just a sandy ramp, and is very gradual, thanks to all the switchbacks. There are cliffs on one side of the trail for most of its length, but the width is about 3 feet in most places, so it doesn't feel very exposed. The hardest part of the hike up for us was the heat and the unrelenting sun. You work much harder on the way up than on the way down, so this is the time to drink a ton of water and eat food in order to prevent heat exhaustion. 

The closer we got to the rim the more people there were. Hunter said hi to everyone. One lady he said hi to replied “Wow you have the most energy out of everyone I’ve seen so far!” And we woke up at 2:45 AM and hiked almost 14 miles already, I thought. If that doesn’t describe Hunter then I don’t know what does!

We finally made it to the switchbacks at the beginning of the trail, and my tired legs carried me up that last hill. We topped out over the rim of the Grand Canyon at 11 AM. We were both just about out of water at this point, having consumed 2 gallons each!

This hike remains one of my favorite of all time, but I cannot stress enough the need to be prepared. It's remote down in the bottom of the canyon, as you can imagine, and if you aren't used to the heat it's easy to get into trouble. If you are in shape and carry enough food and water, this hike is definitely a must-do!

FOOD

The closest town to the south entrance of Grand Canyon National Park is Tusayan. There are a few restaurants in town, but in keeping with our van life, money-saving theme, Hunter and I shopped at the Tusayan General Store. Although the groceries here are by no means cheap compared to a regular grocery store, it is definitely less expensive than dining out. I would say the Tusayan General Store is the way to go, especially if you have a great campsite to cook at! 

In case you want to eat out a night or two, here are some of the restaurants in town to choose from:


If you want to dine inside the park, there are a couple options for that as well!

LODGING

Go camping! There is a lot of Forest Service land just outside the national park, offering the perfect opportunity for dispersed camping. This means free! Hunter and I stayed on Forest Service Road 328, and it was one of our favorite camping spots ever.